TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart deplored the recent US-led military strikes on Syria as very ugly precedent in international relations, and said that Tehran and Ankara are needed to cooperate to deescalate tensions in Syria.

"It is imperative for Iran and Turkey to continue cooperation and consultation to promote peace in the region," President Rouhani said.

The Iranian president recalled that the US, Britain and France carried out an aggressive attack against Syria, and said, "It is a very ugly precedent in international relations that some powerful and bullying countries attack a country whenever they like."

President Rouhani pointed to the Western powers' dual and selective approach to the use of chemical weapons, and said, "As among the biggest victims of such arms, Iran always condemns the use of chemicals by any country."

He said all countries must react to illegal meddling with regional issues, adding, "When nothing has been proven and inspectors of the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have not announced the results of their research and investigations, no country or countries must be allowed to carry out a military action."

He pointed to recent meeting with presidents Russia and Turkey in Ankara, and said, "Fighting against terrorism, ending the war in Syria and establishing security in the region are among the common goals of the three countries."

The Iranian president underlined the importance of tripartite cooperation given the ongoing developments in the region and said the three countries should focus on efforts to reduce tensions in Syria and prevent Western interference.

The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey on April 4 reaffirmed their commitment to work toward achieving a sustainable ceasefire between warring sides in Syria and bringing peace and stability to the war-torn Arab country.

Rouhani and his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Erdogan, “reaffirmed their determination to continue their active cooperation on Syria for the achievement of lasting ceasefire between the conflicting parties and advancement of the political process envisaged by UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” said a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting of the three leaders in Ankara.